What Does Zlatan Ibrahimovic Need to Happen in 2013 to Win the Ballon d'Or?

Valerio Pennicino/Getty ImagesIbrahimovic will be looking to better his 2012 form this year

2.0K

Reads

4

Comments

Even though 2012 was a superb year by Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s own high standards, 2013 could be even better.

He enters the calendar year in superb form and on the back of 12 months in which he netted 46 goals in 48 games for AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Sweden. At 31 years old, the towering Swede is at the peak of his powers.

However, one thing is missing from an impressive CV that boasts title successes and top-scoring accolades from across the Netherlands, Italy and Spain—European success at the highest stage.

Arguably without that success, Ibra will never be considered a true great—at least not by himself—and the opportunity to be part of a team who can win the Champions League was a big part of why he joined PSG.

Now in prime scoring form and ready to take on the burden of leadership when others can’t step up to the plate, Ibrahimovic is ready to launch his assault on Europe in chase of the Ballon d’Or.

Maintain Impressive Scoring Tally

First and foremost, he needs to keep scoring goals as consistently as he did in 2012.

Eighteen goals and three assists in 16 appearances is a tremendous start to life in a new country and a new league. Add in his two goals and five assists in the Champions league and you start to get the picture of a player who has developed an ability to play for the team.

The Swede sees himself as a player who can improve year on year, but he will need a career year to better his last. Forty-six goals in 48 games places him behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in Europe.

A quick start to 2013 and Ibra could realistically keep pace with the La Liga-based duo.

Answer His Critics

It will take a mammoth effort to drag PSG into the latter stages of the Champions League, but only that would definitively answer some of Zlatan’s critics.

Regularly maligned for being a flat-track bully who dominates smaller teams but does not deliver against bigger opposition, Ibra has been spurred into adapting his game in the past few seasons.

Now in a league that is often not given enough credit for its strong, well-organised defences and physical opposition, the Swede has put this into practice.

Also criticised for being unable to be part of a team who can win the Champions League, Ibra is desperate to succeed in Europe.

Arguments that his dominant role as the focal point of any side ends up defeating his team’s quest for the title are backed up at least historically. But if the team is now built around Lucas Moura, will that freedom empower Zlatan?

Can He Do It?

The facts suggest that he is facing an uphill battle and will likely be disappointed in his quest.

But if any player has the determination to succeed in this challenge on current form it would appear to be Ibrahimovic.

The last Ligue 1 player to win the prestigious award was Marseille's Jean-Pierre Papin in 1991, which illustrates just how big a feat it would be if he could pull it off.

This triumph requires a tremendous level of individual contribution, and given his group stage Champions League showing, he is ready for that where it matters most.

Once again, though, it was against smaller teams, so now he must maintain the same creativity in the group stages.

Football is a beautiful game made more appealing by stories of great players, individual and team achievements. If Ibra can pull this off, it would be one of European football’s most memorable success stories.